U.S. Seeks Military Talks with Russia on Syria

The United States plans to engage in military-to-military talks with Russia about Syria, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Friday.

“The president believes that a military-to-military conversation is an important next step,” Kerry told reporters, “and I think, hopefully, it will take place very shortly.”

The U.S and Russia have long been at odds over Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. The Obama administration believes Assad must be removed from power for the Syrian civil war to come to a resolution, but Russia has given him its support since the conflict began in 2011.